Colossians 1:21-23 (NLT)
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
Observations:
vs. 21-22
No one can say, once receiving salvation, that they are not worthy, or that they will not stand before God. Even though we once lived lives full of sin, evil, and disobedience, causing us to have separation, we are rectified through Christ's blood.
vs. 23
This whole thing begins as an offer to eternal salvation through Christ, ending with you standing blameless before God- BUT- verse 23 says, BUT you have to continue believing, stand firmly, and not drift away.
There is much debate about whether a one-prayer salvation ensures your ticket to heaven or whether there is more to it than that. I believe that this verse answers that question, plain and simple. Yes, acceptance of Christ covers all of your sins and reconciles your soul to God- BUT only through your continued faith and relationship with Christ.
Application:
vs. 21-22
If we look at ourselves as redeemed holy, and faultless (only because of Christ, not our own works), then we will recognize that we simply cannot live our lives the same way. I acknowledge that we cannot merely change by our own will and actions,but through the intervention and guidance of the Spirit in us.
vs 23
Here Paul reminds the Colossians again of their early days of salvation, telling them to cling to that excitement, unwavering faith, and to stand firm in their decision to follow Christ. This is something that we should all be doing, keeping our faith "fresh". Just like we strive and work to keep romance alive in our marriage, doing things daily to keep it up, we must also strive to keep up those early feelings of joy, excitement, and faith in Christ. If we don't do this, we become stale, lukewarm, and complacent.